


No plan to return

by LilacConstellations



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, Canon Divergence, Corrupted Jake, Gen, I really like writing angst about theses three, Jake shows up at the nest but something is off, Sylph Jake, What point in the time line does this exist? Who knows
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:33:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27584143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilacConstellations/pseuds/LilacConstellations
Summary: It’s been a long time since Hollis spoke with Jake. When he shows up at the Nest something feels off.
Relationships: Hollis & Keith (The Adventure Zone), Jake Coolice & Hollis, Jake Coolice & Keith
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	No plan to return

**Author's Note:**

> I’m suffering from that good old Hollis brain rot again so I decided to look through some old fics I wrote during my first amnesty listen. I wrote this after episode 20 something so it’s definitely not canon complacent but I still like it enough to share.

It had been a long time since Hollis had talked to Jake. Why wouldn’t it have been? Jake left them. Keith was angry about it... Hollis was just sad. A sadness they wouldn’t admit to. They didn’t exactly wear their heart on their sleeve. Everyone could see how much they cared about the hornets, how protective they were. Their companions knew they loved them. But other emotions, complicated emotions, unrequited messy ones, Hollis wouldn’t even admit those feelings to themself. 

There was a fear somewhere deep down when Jake arrived. They pushed that fear down. They let it sit with their fear to feel. They thought those feelings were one in the same. 

“What are you doing here?” Hollis asked.  
“Don’t tell Keith I’m here,” his voice sounded raspy as he said it.  
“You know I am the leader here whether or not you’re still apart of us... but fine.” They stepped out the back door of the bar and pulled it shut behind them.

“It’s been awhile,” Hollis said after a moment of silence.  
“I don’t feel like myself right now,” Jake whispered.  
The part of Hollis that still cared for Jake twisted, the part that knew the idiot too well. Against better judgment they rushed forward.  
“Are you ok? What happened?”  
“There’s so much you don’t understand,” the blonde looked distant and gaunt.  
“Look I know things are different but you are- were still my friend... help me understand.”  
“I can’t.”  
They held out a hand, an olive branch, “Try me.”  
“Hollis... you shouldn’t have opened that door.”  
“Woah ok it’s not like you to get all-“  
They were cut off by being pressed against the wall behind them. One of Jake’s hands pinned down their wrist, the other pressing hard on their shoulder.  
“Jake?” His breath was hot and close, but Jake wouldn’t do this to them. Jake wouldn’t take advantage of them like this.  
“It’s not him anymore,” the raspiness had taken over his voice. His eyes were glossed over. Everything about him seemed wrong. Hollis’ fear returned to the surface. They couldn’t speak. Jake’s breath hit their neck. Guess they were wrong, they didn’t know who Jake was. They tried to wait for things to end, they couldn’t bring themselves to fight back.  
But Jake didn’t kiss their neck. Instead he leant forward and sunk his teeth in. 

Hollis screamed and thrashed. They pushed against their friend's chest with their free hand, but feeling was slowly leaving their limbs.  
“Stop! Jake stop! What are you doing!?”  
It wasn’t Jake holding them. Jake was gone. Their vision was blurring. If they weren’t being held up they would have fallen to their knees by now. Who was this? What was happening? They stopped fighting slumping forward over his shoulder. They couldn’t feel anything but the body holding them. Then everything went black.  
*  
Jake tasted blood first, smelt it too. Then he felt the faint heart beat under his hand. He failed, he realized wrapping his arms around his friends limp body. He failed them again.  
Jake tried to be gentle as he sat but he was shaking. Hollis laid in their lap pale. They were still bleeding- fuck. Jake brushed away their blue hair, the left side was stained red. They were gonna be ok. They had to be ok. Jake yelled but got no answer. So with some effort he lifted them and got the door. 

Keith was sitting playing cards with some younger Hornets. He didn’t look up for a moment.  
“Took you long enough, I thought you might...” he trailed off. As his eyes met Jake’s there was venom behind them. “Set Hollis down.”  
“They’re bleeding.”  
Keith grabbed a knife off the table, “Did I fucking ask?”  
“Worry about them more than you hate me.”  
“Don’t you dare try to act like you care more than me, you left us Coolice.” Keith nodded to a young brunette and she left the room.  
Jake set Hollis down on the couch. He shook more with empty arms, but ignored it and started glancing around the room for anything that could help. 

Keith grabbed his shoulder and before he could process the confusion punched him in the stomach. He doubled over. He grabbed him again and punched his jaw before slamming him against the wall and pulling his knife out again.  
“What did you do to them?”  
Jake just stared in shock.  
“I mean it Jake! I need to know how to help!”  
“I... I don’t know, I don’t know what happened. I mean it.”  
“If you’re lying to me I swear I’ll-“  
“I can feel the knife Keith.”  
He stepped back and let Jake slump over. 

“Can I hold them please?” Jake asked desperately.  
“Are you serious? No.”  
“I just want to make sure they’re ok. Can I at least stay for a bit? I’ll leave when they wake up.”  
“Fine. You can stay, but don’t touch them.”  
*  
Hollis woke up silently. Keith was asleep on the other end of the couch but Jake was awake with his back facing them. That didn’t make sense. It had been so long since the three of them were like this.  
They shifted to a seated position and Jake turned to look at them. His eyes widened and his shoulders slumped.

“What are you doing here?” It came out too harsh, Hollis' throat was dry.  
“Leaving,” he mumbled getting up. “I’m so sorry Hollis.”  
“What for?”  
He looked… well Hollis wasn’t quite sure.  
“For everything.”

Once again Hollis watched Jake leave the nest with no plan to return.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact the original title for this was “Hollis needs a hug and so do I” 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed, I think I’ll be writing more about them soon.
> 
> If you want to find me my tumblr is @the-forest-hozier-sings-about


End file.
